


Christmas with Busby & Mount

by padeals_lucnval



Category: Call the Midwife
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fluff, One Shot, Short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:08:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21847465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/padeals_lucnval/pseuds/padeals_lucnval
Summary: A visit from Nonnatus house a few days before Christmas to the Busby-Mount residence in Scotland causes secrets to be spilled, and relationships formed. This is basically a reunion sleepover, with their house being a respite from driving north from Poplar to the Outer Hebrides.
Relationships: Delia Busby/Patsy Mount, Lucille Anderson/Valerie Dyer
Comments: 2
Kudos: 70





	Christmas with Busby & Mount

“Cariad, do you know what time they will be here, Garbo really needs a walk but I don’t want to have to entertain them for too long alone.”

“Not sure I’m afraid, though we may have to bring in reinforcements, lets just say with five midwives, two nuns and fred to care for we may have bitten off quite a bit more than we can chew, at least the sisters are staying with a local group of nuns, or im quite afraid the morning prayers would wake us.” The excited puppy scarpering around the ginger’s feet. “Perhaps just let her out for a wander in the paddock out back? Keep the doggy door unlocked, everything is sealed, she can’t run off” 

“Yes, perfect. To be completely honest with you, I’m just glad the Turners found room at the inn’ Delia quipped from the back of the house, “otherwise we would be completely swamped.

The busby-mount residence was sizable, Patsy finally feeling at ease using the money her father had given to buy a home. The large cottage was quiet, and a twenty minutes walk to the village, which was perfect for the two of them and their hidden identities. Despite the size, it was cosy, much like Nonnatus house had been. The fire bringing warmth throughout the year for the couple, lounging around it all huddled. The wood-cladded walls painted a subtle yellow and flowers adorning the large window in the living area, a worn but cared for settee sitting in the middle. Although Patsy had insisted on keeping the hardwood floors bare, Delia’s experience of cold winters in rural fields had convinced the tall ginger to fit carpets, despite the annoying dents and scuffs they collect. The kitchen was nothing less than functional, if basic, the stove and cooktop finding a centreplace on one side, a cupboard separating it and a refrigerator. The colour scheme hadn’t been entirely to Patsy’s taste but her smaller girlfriend said it made her feel at home. In her words, “the clashing tiles just happen to match the mismatch of the rest of the house”, and that was enough. To see the other woman happy, and feeling at home, made Patsy happy, though since making the purchase she had been secretly plotting to have it redecorated. The dining table was large, too large for just the two of them, so they ate in the office, which was small and had a table for two, and a jukebox. In some ways it had reminded them of the cafes they would frequent in London, and so they were both happy. There were four bedrooms in total, making the sleeping arrangements for the midwives difficult to organise as two people would have to share. It was fortunate that, for appearances sake, they had two “master” bedrooms, for when delia’s family stayed. They couldn’t risk being found out. Their garden, too, was sizable. Though it seemed more like neverending paddocks holding sheep and chickens and a small vegetable farm. Had Sister Monica Joan been fit for the trip they would have been certain it would be a place of comfort for her. 

As Delia placed the last pillow on the bed, she ran down stairs to meet Patsy, tirelessly scrubbing the dining table clean. She giggled in the doorway as she watched her girlfriend, who was yet to notice her presence. 

“There will be no table left if you keep scrubbing. I could swear it was half and inch thicker when we moved in.” Delia joked, causing the redhead to turn and scowl, though it didn’t last long, and her mouth had arched up into a smirk. 

“You know, Delia, we have a house to ourselves.”

“Yes, cariad, we have done for quite some time”

“Six months, one week and three days to be precise, but we are alone, no chance of Fred, or Trixie, or any nun barging in on us” her smirk just grew across her face and she meandered her way to her girlfriend, “and this table is now quite clean” she says her husky voice creating tension in her girlfriend. The two women’s eyes met and the smaller one seemed to be in a trance as Patsy wrapped her arms around her neck, bringing them closer. Body to body. The small kiss placed gently on Delia’s lips made her shiver, no hunger, just pure love. She needed to be logical, though, as there was quite the possibility someone would look into the window to check if anyone is home, and an even greater possibility that it would be Fred, or Trixie, or a nun. 

“Now, cariad, as much as I would love to give you a reason to have to clean this lovely table again, i’m quite afraid this is as much as you can have for now.” she said, returning the gesture and locking lips with her girlfriend, this time with a bit more lust. “Now come on, or we will get caught.” she chuckled as the two unlocked their bodies from each other, holding hands as they walk to the living room to wait. 

After just five minutes, they heard an engine cutting out, and a gaggle of people chattering away, some voices new, and some from old friends, coming to an unorganised stop as one of them knocked on the door. As patsy went to open it, she noticed a piece of mistletoe still hanging at the doorway to the hall and signalled for Delia to hide it. Once she was sure it was out of sight, the heavy oak door was opened to a bunch of familiar faces, granted her time spent with valerie was short, it was still comforting to see her after years apart. She guided everyone through, letting them know to take off their shoes before entering the lounge, though was advised that socks would remain given the cold flooring due to the freezing winter they were in the middle of. 

“Welcome sisters” Delia chirped from somewhere in the crowd, “I don’t believe we have met yet, I am Delia, the tall one is patsy” she reached out her hand towards the unfamiliar nun. 

“Ah yes, sister Julienne has told me much about you, Mother mildred.” the stout woman responded. 

“Nurse Mount, how lovely to see you, and you too Nurse Busby, such a delight to see the two of you happy still after all this time” Nurse crane cheered as she placed her case down by the stairs. 

Once the reunion was over, and everyone had been introduced, the matter of the sleeping arrangements were to be organised. Trixie, Val, Lucille and Nurse Crane ass took their cases upstairs, the second floorboard creaking as it always did when someone stepped, though Valerie had somehow managed to miss it. Her strides had always been long and awkward, Delia remembered seeing her pacing around Nonnatus house in the same aloof manner. Once at the top, Delia took it upon herself to explain, “I will move in with Patsy for tonight” though at least three knew this was untrue, as they did share a room every night, “which means that there are two rooms with single beds and one with a double. I would say Nurse crane, you would probably enjoy a single room so you can take the one on the other side of the landing over there. I will leave the three of you to decide but we will be in the one to the right of the stairs, next to the bathroom. The other double is the same position, but to the left of the stairs, there, the single is between that one and Nurse Crane’s. I will leave you all to choose and get comfy. I know its only one night now and another night in a few weeks time but all the same.”

Patsy wondered into her room, proud of her girlfriend’s ability to control the situation. Once the two were alone in their room, they sat on the bed, feeling it dip as the other shuffled to get comy, feeling overwhelmed by the idea that the two will be sharing a bed whilst there are other people around. There was simply no other way around it, logistically, and neither had ever been ones to contradict common sense and logistics. For now, they can just be happy to embrace the other whilst what happened outside the room continued as if there were no secrets being kept. 

Across the landing, it was decided that Lucille and Valerie were to share the double bed and Trixie was to have the single. Once set up, everyone met in the living room for tea and cake, the latter was unlikely able to live up to Mrs B’s, but it was welcomed gracefully by all nonetheless. Catching up with everyone was lovely, and having the nuns and the Turners leave for their own lodgings only enable conversations to build up. 

“So, how has it been, travelling the world. You saw such exotic places.”

“Well it was good at first, but I am glad we are back in a place I can understand everyone. Patsy here may have had a top class education, but languages weren’t exactly on the top of the list at Tenby secondary.” Delia giggled, giving a sly smirk to her girlfriend.

“Paris was quite the adventure, I must say. Though perhaps Deels shouldn’t have tried to order our tea without a translator, the raw fish was a shock for someone expecting roasted chicken.”

Delia jokingly slapped the ginger’s knee, inhaling out of shock, though all could tell it was fake. Acting never was Delia’s strong suit. “You promised you wouldn’t tell them” she said through stifled giggles, “at least I never said I knew fluent russian only to tell the innkeeper that you killed his kittens”. 

Everyone laughed at this comment, Patsy’s face turning red, almost the shade of her old nursing cardigan. “And you promised to never, EVER, say that. Again.” 

“Well I must say, this evening has been quite enlightening, I shall go abroad with caution of my words, but let me aid you clearing this up.” Nurse Crane said, standing with her plate and teacup in hand, signalling for Delia to help. Meanwhile, Lucille went to her room to fetch some blankets, if the group were to remain downstairs, conversing. She had felt, at first, like she was intruding. Though as time passed she became comfortable enough to relax, understanding that the two women were once, and always will be, part of Nonnatus house. 

With time alone, Trixie thought it best to question Patsy and her “close friend’s” relationship, having known the truth of it for quite some time. Knowing it was quite the same for Valerie, she felt it was a safe place and time to bring it up. 

“And what of you and Delia. Living together is difficult, and don’t say you did it a Nonnatus. We all know it is different when you have friends and… nuns to act as a buffer.” 

“I don’t know what you mean. Trixie” the redhead said, glancing towards the tall brunette who seemed to be sitting relaxed. “ We’ve been friends for nearly eight years now, I doubt something as silly as living together could possibly harm our friendship.”

“I didn't mention your friendship, as you put it, being harmed, Nurse Busby.” she said smiling, a knowing look shared between the bottle blonde and the brunette sitting next to her. 

“Come on Patsy, you’re the only couple giving me hope for the future, spill.” Val said. It had come as a shock, which must have shown as she added, “I saw how Busby behaved in your absence. You must know she isn’t entirely subtle. Goodness she spent most nights in your bed, spraying it with your perfume, which unbeknownst to her rubbed off quite a bit. And, well, women like us know how to spot other women with similar, inclinations, so to speak.” 

“So come on patsy, spill.” trixie announced, as the three other women joined the room, causing an invisible veil to fall over the tall ginger’s face.

“What stories was Pats telling now? I shan’t miss out on any more stories of my lack of language skills. A one sided telling would not be fair.”

“Well. Patsy here was about to tell us all about what the TWO of you had gotten up to, travelling the world alone. Just the two of you.” trixie said, delias face matching the apprehensive one of her girlfriends. 

“Oh, it's quite alright, goodness. The two of you look like you’ve just witnessed a zombie rising from the dead” val comforted, “though if you want it to be kept between yourselves it's quite alright.”

“Yes lass.” Nurse Crane added.

Both women look towards Lucille, who up until now has remained rather quiet in the doorway, adorned with thick blankets and an unreadable face. “Well, back home I met many, men and women, like you. Though it was to be kept secret much like here. It comprised my childhood friend was homosexual, and well, she needed my support then. By which I mean to say, God put you on this earth, it seems unfair to not allow you to spread your wings as others spread theirs.” A smile formed on her face, though it was not aimed at the couple on the settee, it was, instead, for the gorgeous woman standing in front of her, brown, debonair pixie cut framing the smiling face looking back at her.

As the clock went round, the girls, minus Trixie, found themselves slipping more and more rum into their hot chocolates , falling into a game of truths. Despite the childish nature of it all, Nurse Crane decided it would be a lovely way of catching up, and so embarked on the formulating her questions. 

Out of nowhere, lucille quipped through a smirk, “name of your first kiss, to everyone.” 

“Well, I’m not normally one to reveal my hidden past, but these are quite the circumstances. It was a lad called james, his last name evades me now, though it was back in my first year of nursing school so first names should suffice.” Nurse Crane said, in a rather formal manner.

“Well, mine was Albert Turpington, last year of secondary school. Think it's safe to say neither one of us had enjoyed it, given both our current… circumstances. We still keep in contact and he visited the black sail last year” Valerie revealed, “a rather cautious chap in hand, metaphorically of course, the looks he would get if they had been arm in arm.” 

“Well mine was this chap called Rodger, we were both teenagers.” Trix said, all eyes fell towards Busby and Mount, both looking brash and not knowing what to say. They had, of course, discussed it between them, but to have an open space to be themselves in, nevertheless with friends they have had for over a year now was something quite new for them. “It's quite alright.” Trixie said, her voice comforting to the two women yet to speak.

“Well, I don’t count my first, a peck on the cheek from a boy called Dafydd when I was six, but really, it was Pats, and I should add it was bloody magnificent.”

“How romantic, was she yours?” Lucilled quipped, excited to learn more about her new friends.

“Not quite, I shared a few pecks, and one snog, before I met Deels. It was someone called Alex, we had met at boarding school, and after our last day, both drunk on cheap wine and expensive gin, we shared a kiss, though the repercussions made me quite the outcast. I don’t talk to any of the people from school anymore. I much prefer Deels anyway, she’s far better, and nicer and kinder” Patsy says looking to her girlfriend with pride. “Who’s next with a question?”

“Well, I was going for a rather more innocent approach, but what got you into nursing, and/or midwifery”

“That’s easy, for me that BBA was quite the thrill to be involved with someone on that level attracted me to midwifery, and I always enjoyed helping people when I was younger. Spent half of my play time assisting in the first aid room, healing grazes and helping with headaches.” Delia explains, “I suppose I was destined to be a nurse from the very beginning.”

“It's quite the same for me” Trixie adds, not wanting to go into depth, Patsy equally avoiding the main topic giving it a small notice alongside a look to Nurse Crane, giving permission to later explain to Lucille what troubled her.

“I just wanted out of Poplar, get some perspective on the world” Val said, “though the only job the army would offer was with the nursing corps, I accepted straight away, never saw myself as a frontliner anyway, I looked terrible in khaki.” this caused a knowing smile to form across Lucille’s face, hidden from everyone but Valerie.

Nurse crane went on to explain how her mother was never given the opportunity, so she took everything she could grasp, one of those being nursing. Lucille talked about how she was keen on the nursing books she would file in the library, and saw relocation as the best time to begin training. 

By midnight all of the women were quite ready for bed, the laughing had tired them out and the alcohol had started to wear off. Each retired to their rooms and chirped “goodnight” as the doors closed and lights turned off.

“Well that was nice” Delia said, having closed her own bedroom door, and making her way to bed.

“Could’ve been worse.” Patsy replies. “I mean, I really did have such good intentions for that table” a smirk raised of both the girls faces.

“Pats, don’t get too excited the rooms aren’t exactly soundproof. Don’t think I can’t hear you singing in the shower. I’ve been quite tempted to purchase some earmuffs to help me”

“Cheeky” the ginger said, lightly nudging her girlfriend, causing them both to collapse on the bed. “Do you suppose there is something going on,” she lowers her voice, “between Luce and Val?”

“Maybe, you remember what we were like, it took forever for you to get my hints, and a quarter of a bottle of scotch, one year it took us!”

“From my memories it was closer to 18 months, and you didn’t take any of my hints either, we must have been equally blind.” Patsy whispers, slipping off her shirt and trousers. 

“Lets see how the night goes, we will be able to tell in the morning if anything went on, from what I've seen of Val, it's a mystery she hasn’t been found out yet. Either that or the Nonnatuns really don’t care.” 

“The former, surprisingly.” the redhead said, tucking herself under the covers, next to her girlfriend of over five years. “Do you think they will like the presents we’ve got them?”

“I guess we will find out in the morning.” smiled Delia, falling gently asleep in her girlfriend’s arms, warm with love. Garbo curled up in a ball of fluff at their feet. A family unlike any the 1960s was prepared to see.

The house is quiet, gifts hanging from the door handles for the bedrooms, the guests unaware of their friend’s early Christmas gifts to them, the morning will bring joy as each peeps into their hanging stockings. The smiles on the women’s faces will be more than enough, no gifts will need to be reciprocated, as Patsy and Delia had the greatest gift of all, the love they shared halved their troubles, doubled their happiness, and made each day worth living. The sex wasn’t bad either. 


End file.
